The first time I truly noticed the pua kala, I was struck by how out of place it seemed — and then how right. Growing out of dry, rocky ground, covered in thorns, and then opening into something almost transparent. Brilliant white petals, a deep yellow center. That contrast between its armor and its bloom is what drew me to illustrate it.
Our newest artwork, a collaboration with Sugar Caddy, features the pua kala — Hawaiʻi's only endemic poppy.
Endemic to Hawaiʻi and found from sea level all the way up into the dry forest, the pua kala (Argemone glauca) grows where little else will — in hardpan soil, open lava flows, disturbed ground, and dry, windswept coastlines.¹ Its name means thorny flower, and the name fits — the entire plant, from its bluish-green leaves to its seed pods, is covered in stiff, sharp prickles.¹ But those thorns serve the land. Because of its prickles and bitter taste, cattle and other grazers leave it alone — allowing it to grow undisturbed in pastures where most native plants would not survive, and making it a natural shield for more fragile plants growing nearby.² It is one of the few native plants that can survive fire — and one of the first to return after an area has burned, its seeds germinating in the ash and starting the work of restoration before anything else arrives.¹ Its deep roots stabilize soil and prevent erosion, quietly holding the land together in places that have been disturbed or degraded.³
And then there are the flowers. Each one lasts only a single day — opening in the morning, gone by evening. But new flowers open daily, a continuous quiet bloom.¹
This piece is dedicated to the Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative, a nonprofit committed to preserving, protecting, and restoring native Hawaiian dry forest — exactly the kind of place where pua kala grows and the kind of work it quietly represents. Learn more about their work at waikoloadryforest.org.⁴
This artwork will also be featured at Merrie Monarch — a week-long festival honoring King David Kalākaua's vision for perpetuating Hawaiian traditions, language, and arts.⁵ See our full Merrie Monarch 2026 collection and find us at the festival here.
The pua kala does not need perfect conditions to bloom. It just does. That contrast — thorns and transparency, harshness and beauty — is something I keep coming back to. I hope this piece makes you look twice at the plants growing in the difficult places.